COLOMBIA: Tiquisio--struggling for development and peace

When the community of Tiquisio, led by parish priest Father Rafael Gallego, decided to organize in 2002 to confront the violent acts of the guerrillas, paramilitaries, and the Colombian Armed Forces, its members never imagined that seven years later their community process would set an example followed by other groups inside the Magdalena Medio Region, and would receive national and international recognition.

In seven years, the Tiquisio Citizen's Process created more peace and development for the community than the Colombian government had, even with all the governmentâ€™s paraphernalia of experts, armies, weapons, and money.Â With the support of different organizations, such as the Magdalena Medio Development and Peace Program, the Popular Education Investigation Center (CINEP), Redepaz, the Colombia Support Network (CSN), and Christian Peacemaker Teams, the Tiquisio community has developed numerous projects.Â These projects include the Community Farm, where Tiquisioâ€™s people are trying to achieve food security, popular education, like the Colombian Rural School, a sexual and reproductive health project, a community operated and community-based radio station, and a political brotherhood relationship with the CSN Chapter in Austin, TX.Â The process has convinced many guerrilla and paramilitary members to abandon their guns and reintegrate into civilian life.Â The Tiquisio Citizen's Process has even taught human rights and international law to the Colombian Armed Forces.

But not everything has been easy for this community.Â The history of their process is full of tragic moments, such as when the guerrilla group Popular Army Resistance (EPL) killed Marciana Araujo, a community mother and leader of the village, or the forced displacement of the leaders of the process because of threats by the Black Eagles, a paramilitary group.Â These tragedies, along with other disappeared, murdered, and displaced people, remain in the memory of Tiquisioâ€™s citizens.

The present is not perfect either.Â The army is still violating international human rights laws with impunity.Â It has a military base on a hillside in the middle of the village, dangerously close to the primary school and civilian homes.Â Many peasants' and miners' families are still fighting with the ghost of forced displacement, which appears every time the multinational corporations and the agribusinesses remember that Tiquisio exists.